NV R.L. Buller & Son Brown Frontignac, Victoria, Rutherglen, "Premium Fine Muscat$13.99, 18.0%). Clarity is very good, the main color is brown with perhaps a reddish tint, then broad yellow rims, dull surface. Nutty nose, the 18% definitely comes through, golden raisin and date notes, maple syrup and crystallized ginger, nothing subtle about it. Medium-bodied, softly and generously coats the palate but it’s not that full-bodied. Caramel, toffee, butterscotch, maple syrup, conjures it all up. Nice smokiness, sweet tobacco leaf. The date, raisin, fig fruit sweet without getting cloying. Spiced orange peel and clove. Quite vibrant overall. Been forever since I have had one of these, fortuitous find in the cellar. Made from Brown Muscat (Brown Frontignac). 375 ml bottle. [My best guess is that this bottle was released about 12 years ago but not sure.]
2016 Lagier Meredith Zinfandel, Napa Valley, Mount Veeder, “Tribidrag” ($45.00, 15.4%). Darkly opaque purple core, dense magenta to scarlet rims, does not look appreciably older than from release. Musky nose of blackberry, blueberry fruit, concentrated without any dried fruit character, very floral, a few mocha notes, tea leaf, baking spices, refuses to leave your nostrils, powerful. Full-bodied, while obviously has lost weight has more than enough heft to throw about. Exceptionally rich black fruits, here it’s plummy. Orange peel, clove, ginger, menthol, the whole enchilada. Tannin is a little rough and the alcohol is surfacing more noticeably. Loads of flavor yet has lost some youthful vigor. In a perfect world I wouldn’t push this much further out, don’t let the fruit get denser.
2015 Sandlands Mataro, Contra Costa County ($28.00, 12.9%). Plum purple core, depth of hue paired with clarity, the rims a darkening magenta but nowhere near bricking. Nose of wet wool and leather, energetic cranberry, rhubarb, blueberry fruit scents, lavender to sage, beginning to evolve but at ten years out sort of expected it to be further down the road. Medium-bodied, excellent grip without coming across as too tannic. The fruit is dense not monolithic. More poor dirt and sand than damper leather. In a good way it can’t shake a more “animal” profile, so no complaints. Perfectly acceptable length, chewy. Since 2017 it has firmed up while the general profile not changing much.
2016 Bedrock Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sodini Vineyard ($37.00, 14.5%). While the core inclines towards black it’s not opaque, wide bricked rims, clarity is fine as is surface shine. The nose has a stewed tomato aspect to it, metallic with some cow pattie, plum/prune and raisin fruit, menthol still kicking, milk chocolate, leans far back into your nostrils. Full-bodied, sappy and clingy, no tannin nor acidity that obvious. Candied orange peel, lemon curd, even more chocolate and toffee. Mesquite grill smoke and the meat fat to go with it. Dries out a touch on the finish. Loved this on release, still good but its core attributes have been exaggerated by time. Should have consumed sooner.
2015 Harrington Syrah, El Dorado County, Sumu Kaw Vineyard ($25.00, 12.9%). Light haze to vigorous violet-ruby hues, on the dark side, wouldn’t peg its age. Crisply linear nose, just about gone by the time you start registering it, comes off like you need a chisel to get at it, reddish berry to cherry fruit scents, witch hazel to eucalyptus, odd amount of buttery popcorn or caramel, slightly green, no tertiary aspects I can discern. Medium towards lighter-bodied, the acidity packs a punch. Here too that buttery thing distracts. Olive pit and beef jerky rise above a mutter. Razor sharp red fruit with white grapefruit pith in support. All this is more or less in line with my initial impression on release. I just thought there was a better shot at substantive development and that ain’t happening.
2020 Sandlands Cinsault, Central Valley, Lodi ($26.00, 12.0%). Ruby red throughout, suggestion of violet at the core, mild haze, sort of watermelon pink-red at the rims. Ash, sand and crashed stone come at you first in the nose, flighty raspberry, rhubarb, pear fruit scents, no herbaceous notes, something weird like butterscotch, sticks around well enough, if for no real reason. In the mouth it’s medium to light-bodied, the tannic feel of its youth persists. The reddish fruit on the path to drying out. Sandy dirt. Citrus flashes through the finish. More energy than purpose or direction. Perfectly fine, particularly with food rather than as a sipper. Bottles like this give me pause, as I have had the good fortune to drink and/or collect lots of wines that people say need to be deeply buried in the cellar and I usually think I should have just cracked them open within 2-3 years of release.
2002 Baumard Chenin Blanc, Loire, Coteaux du Layon, Clos de Sainte Catherine, “Vieilles Vignes” ($37.99, 13.0%). Fully bronzed with yellow rims, pools deep into the glass, the liquid immaculate. Petrol tar and wax make up the bulk of the nose, candied orange peel, poached pear, dried apricot, for all of its richness it’s not heavy, for me just the right amount of fruit vs. development. Full-bodied, slowly shedding weight towards a succinct finish. The acidity does what it has to and then a little more, pleasing freshness. More floral than the nose suggests. Concentrated apricot, peach, pear fruit with tangerine, lemon citrus bringing tang. Smoky and slightly nutty, cinnamon to nutmeg. Consistent from first pour to last. Very satisfying.
NV Chéreau Carré (Louise Chéreau) Melon de Bourgogne, Loire, Vin Mousseux de Qualité, “Vices & Vertus Orgueil Méthode Traditionnelle Brut” ($23.99, 12.5%). Pours softly without much mousse, white straw color, languid bubbles, on the pale side. Fresh, puppy like nose of just ripened peach, pear fruit, seashells, mixed florals and a good bit of backing yeastiness. Medium-bodied, on the firm side even with persistent pétillance if not foaminess. Dry attack, sweetens a little with apricot, pear, yellow apple, melon fruit settling in. Chalk and pulverized stone, there’s a bitterness to it that can’t fall under nuttiness. Short. That said, when it is present it clings well. Really not sure how to sum up. Summer patio deck aperitif? (Disgorged 6/18/24 per back label) [Note: Something here was messed up because per the de Maison website the brut and brut rosé have blue foil. This had white foil and was damn sure not a rosé. But the back label said rosé. Front label said Melon. I am going with the regular brut and may burn in hell for it.]
2014 Corbon Chardonnay, Champagne, Avize, “Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut” ($74.99, 12.0%). Moderate depth to the golden hue, strong center bead, strong rims, nice. Smoky, almost tarry, saline driven nose, grapefruit and granny smith apple, pear scents, very direct and penetrating. Medium-bodied, brisk acidity and tight pétillance. More lemon than grapefruit, builds the tartness. Chalky, minerally, smoky. No oak nor malo but spends a good amount of time on the lees, getting a toasty note at the end. Anyway, it’s super clean and crisp. Hard to imagine it is “brut,” no clue on dosage. First glass appreciated, deeper into the bottle got palate fatigue. (Disgorged September 2024)
2012 Bosquet des Papes Grenache, Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, “a la gloire de mon Grand-Pere” (15.5%). Grimy purple core, literally pulled the cork and the sediment blocked the liquid from coming out (stood up for weeks), rusty rims, looks old. Mud, tar, merde in the nose, soy, a solid decant helps some, brings some plum fruit forward, menthol, still it’s a push at best. Medium-bodied, tannin adds a stable tackiness. Chocolate, orange peel, garrigues, more mud. Zero acidity. Fruit doing okay. Grilled, charred beef. This is just a boring wine. Not flawed, just boring.
2020 Château Saint-Yzans Bordeaux, Médoc ($11.99, 13.5%). The core is just about black yet somehow just achieves opacity, dusky, warm red rims, pretty basic. The nose is neutral, gravel, hard dirt, clay, some smokiness, no real oak presence (and probably shouldn’t be at the price), attenuated cherry, currant scents. Medium-bodied, astringent with more drying tannins than can be supported. The fruit is just acceptable, just. Tobacco, tea leaf, more gravel and sand. I don’t want to drink anymore and so I won’t. Unspecified percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, etc. (Composite Cork: Diam3)
2002 Robert Weil Riesling, Rheingau, Kiedricher Gräfenberg, Auslese AP #8 (8.0%). Reddish bronzed, wide yellow rims, pools well, nicely layered. Candied orange peel, honey, rose petals, light smokiness, dried peach and apricot, for all of that it’s really quite pure with a serene presence, satisfying. Full-bodied, grips and massages the tongue with kaleidoscope goodness. Pear, apricot, peach, nectarine fruit, smoky sweetness. More orange peel and pink grapefruit. Honeyed out the wazoo. Acidity is good, not great, more than up to the task. Extremely long finish. Totally dessert level Auslese. This is pretty awesome. 375 ml bottle.
2001 Van Volxem Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Scharzhofberger, AP #1 ($25.99, 11.0%). Dark gold color but not near bronzed, conveys a sense of fullness, surface shine average, full into the rims, looks a little younger than it is. In turn the nose delivers on that promise of fullness, oily without turning smoky, rubber and substantial tropical pineapple, guava, papaya fruit scents, anchored by a serving of coconut custard. Full-bodied, the acidity isn’t all that crisp but certainly gives it as much buoyancy as needed. Same tropical fruit, here tart, with an equal blast of pink to white grapefruit and to a lesser extent lime citrus. More pie crust and custard. Sweeter than I expected, at 11% figured it was pretty “trocken.” Albeit dry doesn’t necessarily mean not sweet. Stepping back can’t see it changing much going forward. Quite nice now.
2005 Eredi Fuligni Sangiovese, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino, “Riserva” (14.5%). Reddish cast lightens the black core a little, still voting for opaque, that red dominates broad rims, maybe some orange, looks clean enough. Tarry nose with a decided barnyard influence, camphor, anise, sage, fruit still a good bit of cherry but getting plummy, yet general stiffness is good, no lift but pushes forward relentlessly. Full-bodied, flows well for its weight, tannin can be a speed bump now and then. Runs to asphalt, leather then tar, plenty of grapefruit on the finish. Savory cherry, raspberry fruit crests in the mid-palate.
2013 G.D. Vajra Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Barolo, “Albe” ($38.99, 14.0%). The purple core lightened by sunset red hues, the rims look like they are bricking but doubt it’s really age, looks a bit gauzy. The nose has a fluffy to wet cotton ball texture, full enough to impede movement, licorice, pressed flowers, menthol, no particular fruit scent jumping out at me, more dark than red, pretty standard stuff in my book. Close to full-bodied, plenty of weight and layering. The tannin has relented some over the years. Really citrusy here. More of the licorice and dried rose petals. The blackberry, raspberry fruit in no danger of fading. Nicwe leathery touch at the end. I really did not care for this on release but this is a much better showing. That said, wouldn’t really wait on more upside.
2015 Finca Allende Tempranillo, Rioja, Gaminde [vineyard] ($32.99, 15.0%). Black purple core, impenetrable, thin and heavy burnt red rims, decent shine, looks a little older but not much. Upon opening the nose shows some funk but nothing major, surprisingly tight, the black fruit deep if not expressive. Pressed flowers, dried earth, the oak is there but knitting in well. Acidity seems more present than tannin. Some pucker through the finish, before that nicely even and paced. Hint of metal or tomato skin. Thought it would be ready given what I know about the producer but it could use more time, drinking primary. Like it, easy to drink, innocuous enough.
2021 Familia Torres Priorat, “Secret del Priorat” ($25.99, 13.5%). Violey to plum flesh ruby red, quite clean and spotless, shiny. Nose of slate, stones and straw bales in counterpoint to ripe red and blue berry scents, a certain dustiness in the nostrils tilts it away from the fruit, hint of chocolate before it fades away. Medium-bodied, smooth and polished. Maybe a little more acidic than tannic but not much of both. Syrupy sweet raspberry, strawberry, blueberry fruit. White citrus, tar and slate, that ole Llicorella. More extension than cleanliness at the end, however, it slims down and takes some sweetness with it. Serviceable. Unspecified percentages of Garnacha, Cariñena, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot